Belladonna sgraffitoing onto a ceramic work, image credit: SSWBelladonna Paloma, one of the five 2025 SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency artists, reflects on her time here at SSW in April and May. The SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency was set up in 2020 to expand funded residency opportunities to artists who are also caregivers. The 2026 SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency Open Call is live from 30 April and the deadline for applications is Friday 12 June 2026, midday. Words and images below by Belladonna Paloma. — The […]
Detail of Jess working on a ceramics piece, image credit: SSWEach month we are sharing more about our Ceramic Subscribers who join us year round in the Ceramics Studio at SSW. Ceramics Subscription enables people to have regular, independent access to SSW’s Ceramics Studio along with some technical guidance. It is aimed at supporting a broad range of people with existing skills and experience working in ceramics as well as those who are beginners. We support people who are keen to develop their ceramics skills and knowledge with regular workshop […]
Dylan Esposito, Without Words, 2024. Image credit: Finn Rabbitt Dove.We are delighted to announce that Dylan Esposito has been selected by SSW for the RSA Residencies for Scotland programme. Through this Dylan will undertake a 4 week residency and our metal fabrication course. RSA Residencies for Scotland is a scheme which provides valuable research and development opportunities for visual artists. It forges important networks with centres of artistic excellence across Scotland, ranging from traditional residency venues to specialised production facilities. In response to recieving the award, Dylan says:I’m incredibly excited […]
2026 is the 6th year of the SSW and Counterflows collaboration, offering vital residency opportunities to Scotland based artists who are also caregivers. We are delighted to offer 4 Fully Funded Residencies in 2026, thanks to generous support of the William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland. The SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency offers: This residency recognises that the care of others is central to the collective survival of our world yet is deeply undervalued within our society. This is often […]
Alicia handbuilding in the Ceramics Studio, image credit: SSWAlicia Matthews, one of the five 2025 SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency artists, reflects on her time here in March and April with a recorded spoken excerpt of writing and images of work made on residency below. The SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency was set up in 2020 to expand funded residency opportunities to artists who are also caregivers. The 2026 SSW x Counterflows Caregivers Residency Open Call is live from 30 April and the deadline for applications is Friday […]
Donnah and Ceramics Technican Amy at a pit firing, image credit: SSWEach month we are sharing more about our Ceramic Subscribers who join us year round in the Ceramics Studio at SSW. Ceramics Subscription enables people to have regular, independent access to SSW’s Ceramics Studio along with some technical guidance. It is aimed at supporting a broad range of people both artists and makers with existing skills and experience working in ceramics as well as those who are beginners, and are keen to develop their ceramics skills and knowledge with regular […]
Plasma cutting in the SSW metal workshop, image credit: SSW SSW is part of Scotland’s Workshops, a network of 10 visual arts production facilities across the country and together we’re excited to share the Scotland’s Workshops Award. This award provides a Scotland based, emerging artist* with time, support and financial means to experiment and gain new skills through spending time at 2 of the 10 visual art production facilities across Scotland that make up Scotland’s Workshops. The selected artist will receive a bursary of: £2500 artists bursary£1500 production bursary to cover tuition, […]
Photo by Felicity CrawshawFor 4 weeks across November and December Josie KO took part in Residencies in Clay, which supported artists exploring the transformational potential of clay within society and contemporary arts practice. The residency culminated in Building the Clay Commons with Eva Masterman, which brought together local community members, makers and artists from the North East and beyond. Josie reflects on her developing relationship with clay and her thought processes while on residency at SSW. All words by Josie ko. I’ve never […]
In March 2023 Norma D Hunter completed her SSW X Counterflows Residency supported by Creative Scotland’s Radical Care project. The residency offered artists time, space, funding and support to develop artists practices alongside their caregiving responsibilities. Norma has written a beautiful, honest blog about her experience as a caregiver and how the residency helped her regain her identity as an artist. Please note this blog contents information about living with and supporting someone living with cancer. “When it comes back…and it will come […]
Roos Dijkhuizen has been on residency at SSW the past month experimenting and creating a series of objects inspired by local symbology that can also be used to create an ensemble of sounds. Roos would like to invite you to the workshop on Thursday 6th of July to share and explore how these objects can be played in a collective group, considering the works as tools to respond to your environment and finding your own rhythms in the landscape. The […]
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